Off to Perugia

I can hardly contain the excitement last Saturday when the result was made known to me. I had some kind of an inexplicable, unfounded, silly ''superstition'' and feared that, if I let other people know about it, it will not materialise. And so I kept the ''secret'' to myself for a few days, until yesterday, 3 days later.

I got the scholarship to study Italian, at the University for Foreigners, Perugia.

When I enrolled for Italian classes last August, I had never dreamed that, a year later, I would be studying the language in the medieval city of Perugia, one of the most famous Italian cities in terms of art, culture and history.

In fact, I had almost signed up for German instead. But I was rejected, by technology. Ha ha - the cold, super-efficient auto reply from Goethe Institute threw back my on-line application within seconds of registration and asked me to re-register at a later date, after the term break.

Well, I did not wait. I signed up for Italian with the Italian Cultural Institute instead, much to the approval of my friends - ''you are certainly more passionate like the Italian!'' they said.

I have almost forgotten how it feels now to be anxious about the necessary paper work, as I frantically searched the website this morning for details on accommodation applications, extra mural activities, and other paper work. There was even a detailed section on subsidised meals at canteens!

All I had been worried about was how to break the news to my boss, how to juggle work during my one-month absence...

Heck - it's only one month. Things won't fall apart, and I am no Prime Minister of the country, or CEO of the company. I don't think I am that indispensable.

What I do think though, is I do need this intellectual challenge, and opportunity, that I should treasure.